As a host of sexual assault allegations target major actors, producers and directors in Hollywood, several politicians are also being called out, and one congresswoman has claimed that the U.S. House of Representatives alone has spent $15 million in taxpayer funds to settle sexual misconduct lawsuits in the last decade.

The claim was made by Rep. Jackie Speier, a Democrat from California, during an interview on Meet the Press Daily with MSNBC's Chuck Todd. When asked about the process sexual assault victims currently have to go through, Speier noted that they have to start by promising to stay silent.